We would like to express our gratitude to the Newport News Police Department for honoring our mother, Hilda Wright, at her funeral recently.

For the Department to take the time to have an honor guard, playing of taps and presentation of our nation's flag to the family of one of the first policewomen in Newport News and in the State of Virginia was most gracious.

She was proud to be a part of the police force, and we would like to publicly thank them and may God bless the Newport News Police Department.

Davis Wright, Jr.

Hilda Wright Johnson

Pauline Wright Perry

Knoxville, Tenn.

Too extreme?

A conspiracy over the election of a school board member? I must say I hope the new count stands, as I'd hate to have someone with such outrageous thoughts involved in any way with the city's children.

Malfeasance? Investigation by the local SCLC chapter? Consulting lawyers? "A possibility that people could influence the election process"?

Of course people influence the election process, they vote. While I can imagine this is the biggest thing going for Rick right now, I doubt "voter fraud" had much to do with an election for a school board member. This isn't Chicago.

I'm sure you're upset, but it seems your reaction and accusations are a bit over the top.

Pete Sonon

Newport News

Media outlets reported on a Christopher Newport University poll claiming to show a reduction in support for expanding Medicaid. A review of the poll reveals two flaws which render the findings misleading.

First, the new April poll used a different question than the one pollsters used in February.

Second, the new polling included political positions and politically charged statements used by those opposed to expansion. This biased question skewed the results:

In February 2014, the poll explained "Medicaid is a health care program for families and individuals with low income that is funded by both federal and state tax dollars. Currently, Virginia is faced with a decision about whether to expand the Medicaid program to cover an additional 400,000 mostly working poor Virginians who are uninsured. In general, do you support Medicaid expansion or oppose it?" 56 percent of those polled supported expansion.

CNU's April question is "In that [Medicaid expansion] debate, the Democrats propose to subsidize private insurance for 400,000 uninsured and low income Virginians by using federal Medicaid money that would otherwise not come to Virginia. Republicans oppose this expansion because they fear the federal Medicaid money will not come as promised, and also say the current Medicaid program has too much waste and abuse and needs reformed [sic] before it is expanded. [Do you] generally support using federal Medicaid money to expand health coverage or oppose using federal Medicaid money to expand health coverage?" This framing resulted in 53 percent opposing expansion.

, There is 100 percent funding available through the end of 2016. After 2016, funding reduces to no less than 90 percent.

Virginia has forfeited more than $500 million since January 1, 2014 because of legislature gridlock. The legislature needs stop wasting time and our money.

Jill A. Hanken

Virginia Poverty Law Center

Richmond

Once upon a time, Mark Twain reminded us that "there are lies, damn lies, and statistics." The writer gave us a perfect examplein his letter, "Data supporting gun owners."

He gave us eight examples of people using firearms to defend themselves from home invasions, and casually tossed off the "fact" that these are "a few of many stories" of homeowner defense. I suspect that if there really were "many" stories, he would have given us at least an approximate number to bolster his argument.

I wonder if the wtiter would care to guess at a different number. That number would be how many times during that same one-plus year a gun in the house was used to kill (not just wound or scare off, as in some of his examples) a member of that household or relative/friend visiting.

A gun in the home is what allows little children "playing with daddy's toy" to kill their siblings or playmates; allows people to kill their spouses and/or children; allows men to kill relatives or friends with whom they have an argument.

The truth is that "home defense" is pretty much the least common use of a gun.

Read the newspaper, check out news on the Internet. For every instance of "home defense" — or even self-defense with a gun, there are [countless] examples of guns killing by accident or aggression in the home. And that's not even counting the number of cases where an argument on the street results in a visit from the coroner (instead of a bloody nose or fat lip...).